College Goal free financial aid event Sunday

Feb. 5, 2008

KALAMAZOO--College-bound high school students and their families
from around the area will be on the Western Michigan University
campus Sunday, Feb. 10, to find out how to maximize their
college financial aid opportunities.

College Goal Sunday, an event held from 2 to 4 p.m. in
WMU's Fetzer Center, is one of 27 such events being held simultaneously
at sites around the state to help high school seniors fill out
their Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid--FAFSA--and
submit it in time to ensure eligibility for maximum benefit.
The event is organized statewide by the National Association
of Student Financial Aid Administrators, which includes college
and university financial aid officers.

"This is really the first opportunity many students will
have to sit down with someone who deals with financial aid on
a daily basis," says Mark Delorey, director of financial
aid and scholarships at WMU. "We're here to make sure they
don't miss out on thousands of dollars in financial aid. With
March 1 as the date students should get their FAFSA in, many
students and their parents have questions about the form and
how to fill it out. We're here to help any student that day--including
those not sure they will attend college and students planning
to attend other colleges."

During the event, students and their parents can:

Get free on-site professional assistance filling out
the federal form

Talk to financial aid professionals about financial
aid resources and how to apply

Students attending should bring their personal information
needed to fill out the form such as their FAFSA PIN or Personal
Identification Number as well as their driver's license, parental
income and tax information, and social security numbers. A complete
list of items needed, along with additional details on the event
can be found online at www.micollegegoal.org.

College Goal Sunday has begun in 2004 with the assistance
of the Lumina Foundation for Education. Since its inception,
more than 4,500 Michigan students have received free assistance
in completing their federal financial aid forms. This year, more
than 400 financial aid officers have volunteered to help students
and families fill out the forms.